Tray binder



May 12, 1925. 1,537,167

' C. R. HADLEY TRAY BINDER Filed Aug. 29. 1.923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r I I lllllllll[@!lI"!EllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmI 12 12 f I 15 j .Z? 2 .ZI3

BCDNEGHIOPQRSJI IN VEN TOR.

A TORN YS I CMRLAG R HADLEY C. R. HADLEY TRAY BINDER Filed Aug. 29. 1923 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIII" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. v

Patented May 12, 1925.

CHARLES R. HADLEY, OF LOS ANGELES,

earner orric-e.

CALIFORNIA; FRANK D. BARNHILL AND PACIFIC-SOUTHWEST TRUST & SAVINGS vIBANK, EXECUTORS O'F SAID CHARLES R. HADLEY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOIRS TO CHARLES R. HADLEY COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFOR NIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRAY BINDER.

Application filed August 29, 1923. Serial No. 659,905.

To all' wieo'm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. HADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Tray Binder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loose lea-f binders of the, so termed, tray type and an object of the invention is to provide a binder of this character that will be convenient to refer to and that at the same time securely holds the loose leaves against displacement. Another object is to construct the tray so that the light can play on the loose leaves from theside as well as the top.

Another object is to provide a construction which will economize space.

Another object is to provide conveniently operated means for clamping the loose leaves in the binder.

A further object is to insure against slipping and buckling of the loose leaves when the clamping members are released therefrom.

A still further object is to provide a construction of loose leaf guides that will insure against slipping of the loose leaves from between said guides when the guides and loose leaves are clamped in the binder.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in-section, of a tray binder constructed in accordance with the provisions of this invention. The parts are shown in the positions they occupy when the binder is closed.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation from tlze left of Figure 1,' one of the-leaves being offset from the others.

Fig. .3 is an enlarged detail of one ofthe shifting blocks for effecting the clamping action, a fragment of the associated clamping member also being-shown.

Fig.4 is a-perspective View of the traybinder, the parts shown iIr-the positions they oocpy when the and members are in partly open position.

Fig. 5 is-a sectional elevation on the line indicated by 5-5, Figure 2, the crank be versely of the support.

ing detached from the clamp operating Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental detail of with cushioning feet 13 of rubber or other suitable non-metallic material, said feet in this instance being secured by screws 14 to the lower edges of the members 12. The upper face of the support 11 is grooved, as indicated at 15, the grooves running trans- Preferably the grooved face 15 is formed of suitable material such, for example, as. corduroy. The

grooved face 15 is adapted to engage the lower edges of the loose leavesa that are placed in the binder.

The loose leaves a are placed between clamping members 16 which are adjustably mounted on the support. The adjustable mounting, in this instance, is constructed as follows: Each of the clamping members 16 has a block 17 secured to it by suitable means such, for example, as'screws 18. The blocks project through a slot 58 extending longitudinally at the median line of the support. The central portion of each block 17 constitutes a nut 19, the threaded orifice of which is indicated at 20. The blocks 17 are provided on opposite sides of the orifices 20 with holes 21 which slida-bly fit rods 22 extending lengthwise of the support 11 beneath the slot 58. The rods 22 are secured at their opposite ends by screws 23 to the members 12. Only the screws23 at one end, of the support can be seen in the drawings because of the nature of the views. Though the rods 22 could be omitted, it is preferable toemploy them to make the operation of the blocks 17 easier.

Means are provided for holding the blocks at different positions along the rods, said means operating to force one of the cross members 12. The screw is provided at one end with a threaded portion 27 and at its opposite end with a threaded portion 28. One of the threaded portions has left-hand threads and the other right-hand threads so that, when the screw is turned in one direction, it will cause the clamping members to approach one another and, when turned in the opposite direction, will cause the clampingmembers to travel away from one another. One end of the screw 25 is provided with a transversely extending pin 29 adapted to be engaged by the notches 30 of a detachable crank 31 which facilitates turning of the screw.

The blocks 17 are also provided above the level of the threaded orifices 20 with holes 32 through which extends a rod 33 that also passes through a hole 34 in one of the cross members 12. The rod 33 is detachable from the support since it is screw-threaded at 35 into the other cross member 12. The end of the rod 33 opposite to that which is screwthreaded, is preferably provided with a head 36 to facilitate turning and removal of said rod.

"The rod 33 projects through holes 37 in ears 38 that project into the slot 58 in the support. The ears 38 project from the lower margins of guides 39 into the slot 58. From this it will be seen'that the guides 39 are movably secured in place in the binder.

' The guides 39 may be provided at their upper edges with tabs 40 containing alphabetical-or other index chaIacters4l. Preferably the guides 39 are mainly constructed of a relatively heavy, smooth and tough paper.

It is important that, when the clamping members have been forced as closely together as possible, the loose leaves a be held against slipping out of place, so as to maintain alinement of the loose leaves. For this reason there are provided friction strips 42 which are joined integrally in a fold at the bottom of the ear 38 and secured by glue or other suitable means, not shown, to the faces of the guides adjacent the lower margins thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 7. The frict-ion strips are made of a suitable fabric such, for example, as linen and, besides increasing the strength of that portion of the guides through .which the rod '33 extends, the friction strips also serve to increase the hold of the guides upon the loose leaves to the members 24 thus hol'din prevent the loose leaves from shifting or eing moved out of place when the clamping members have been operated into clamping position.

Hingedly connected to the clamping members 16 are end members 43 which are provided to properly support the upper portions of the loose-leaves, either in the closed position illustrated in Figures 1 and 5 or in the open positions illustrated in Figures 75 4 and 8. The end members 43 are hingedly connected with the clamping members by cap screws 44 which pass through the members 43 and into standards 45 of the clamping members. Each of the standards 45 is provided with a stop 46 adapted to engage a shoulder 47 on the member 43, when said member 43 is in vertical or closed position, and adapted also to engage another shoulder 48 on the member 43 when the end 85 member is lowered to a position nearer the horizontal, as in Fig. 8.

Cooperating means'are provided on the end members and clamping members tohold the end members in positions intermediate of the two positions above referred to and, for this purpose, the members 43 are each provided with a pair of dogs 49 pivoted at 50 to the member 43. The dogs 49 are adapted to selectively engage series of teeth 51 formed on the periphery of the standards 45. In order that each pair of dogs may be readily operated simultaneously, the dogs 49 of each-pair are connected by a rod 52 which the operator will grasp to move the dogs out of engagement with the upper teeth 51 when he desires to swing the end member to a lower position, gravity normally holding the dogs 49 in position to engage the teeth 51.

The opposite ends and sides of the support 11 are open, there being merely guide rods 53 at the sides having downwardly bentcnds 54. suitably secured to the cross members 12. In this particular instance the 110 cross members 12 are provided with sockets 55 in which the reduced ends 56 of the rods 53 are inserted. Said reduced ends 56 are engaged by screws 57 which are screwed into the rods 53 1:5 in place. The purpose of t e guide rods 53 is-to effect alining of the loose leaves. That is to say all of the leaves may be posi? tioned in register as in Figure 8 against one of the guide rods 53, or some of the leaves 121) may be offset from the others as in Figure 2, the other guide rod serving to limit movement of the offset leaves away from the other leaves and to aline the offset leaves.

The foregoing description will make clear 135 how the invention is constructed and used, and a further brief description of the operation is as follows: Ordinarily the binder tray parts will be in the positions shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. In other words,

the screw will beturned to a-position to hold the clamping members securely against the adjacent leaves, and the end members will be in their vertical positions with reference to the support 11. The loose leaves, when the binder is thus closed, will ,be protected against dust and dirt. Assuming that the loose leaves a are ledger sheets, the credit manager of the firm employing the invention can readily refer to any one of the ledger sheets, without misplacing the same, by simply releasing the dogs 49 from the uppermost teeth '51 and swinging'the end members 43 downwardly to seat the shoulders 48 against the stops 516-, thus opening the binder, as in Fig. 8.

When any of the ledger sheets are to be removed or inserted in the binder, the screw 25 will be turned to cause the clamping members to travel away from one another, thus releasing the loose leaves, a condition seen in Fig. .4. In this condition .the usual accounting operations can be performed;

\Vhen this release occurs, it will be noted that the loose leaves will not slide upon the support'and buckle, thus permitting some of the leaves to slide beneath others, as would be the result if the upper face of the support were smooth. Such sliding and buckling are prevented by the grooved const-ruction of the upper face of the support.

When the binder is thus open with the. clamping -members retracted, any of theledger sheets can be readily removed from or replaced. in the binder and, at the same time, the guides will be held inplace by the rod .Ifit be desired to offset any of the ledger sheets, as is done in machine bookkeeping, such sheets will be shifted edgewise into position to engage one'of the guide rods 53, as in Figure 2,and the binder may be closed with these sheets thus ofi'set. This 7 offsetting of the leaves is customarily to the 55, so that the bookkeeper can in this manright and is for the purpose of. taking off the debits and credits. However, the offsetting may also be effected to the left, by removing the left rod 53 from'the sockets ner indicate to the creditmanager the accounts that are past due.

In the old box type of binders, as aceiof several inches at each end is require to .obtain access to the follower blocks for releas ing them. This invention provides for adjusting-the end members to the ends of the support, thus economizing space and affording maximum capacity. Alsowith the old box type of binder, the only way in which the loose leaves could be locked in place was to provide a cover and lock the cover on the tray. With this invention the leaves are locked against removal and at the same time they may be referred to. To

effect the locking the crank will be detached after the clamplng members are tightened.

; thus lessening the leaves an The foregoing will make clear that,

whereas with the old construction of loose leaf binders it was necessar to use perforated or notched leaves an means to. engage the perforations or notches so that the leaves could be referred to without their becoming displaced and liable to be lost, andand liable to be lost. This invention eliminates perforating or .notching the leaves, the cost of -manufacture of rendering them less liable to be torn when placed in and removed from the bookkeeping machine.

I claim:

1. A tray binder comprising a flat sup-- port having a slot, clamping members on the support, index guides between the clampingmembers having ears projecting into the slot and provided with holes, a rod detachably engaging the support and extending through the holes, and means to force one 'of the clamping members toward the other to clamp loose leaves between the guides.

tray binder comprising a fiatsupport having a slot, clamping members on the support, index guidesfbetween the clamping members having ears projecting into the slot and provided with holes, friction strips on the guides in alignment with the clamping members, a rod detach.- ably engaging the support and extending through the holes, and means to force one of the clamping-members toward the other to .clamploose leaves between the friction strips. v

3. A tray. binder comprising a support, clamping members on the support, means "to force one of the clamping members toward the other to clamp loose leaves therebetween, a rod to which the clamping members are slidably attached, and end members hingedly connected to the clamping members.

. 4. The guide described comprising a sheet of relatively smooth paper, a tab projecting from one margin of the sheet, and friction strips secured to the faces of the sheet adjacent the-opposite margin for the purpose described. 4

5. A tray binder comprising a flat supthe screw and below the upper face of the support, and means to turn the screw.

6. A tra binder comprising a fiat support having a slot, clamping members on the support, rods secured to the support beneath the slot, 2. block slidably mounted on the rods and projecting through the slot and connected with one of the clamping members, and meansto hold the block atdifferent positions along the rods.

7 A tray binder comprising a fiat support having a slot, clamping members on the support, index guides between the clamping members having ears projecting into the slot and holes in the ears, rods secured to the support beneath the slot, a block siidably mounted on the rods and projecting through the slot and connected with one of the clamping members and having a, hole therethr'ough, a rod detachably engaging the support and extending through the holes in the guides and block, and. means to hold the block at difi'erent positions along the rods.

8. A tray binder comprising a flat support having sockets, clamping members on the support, one of said clamping members being adjustable toward and from the other clamping member, guide rods at opposite sides of the support provided with downwardly bent ends seated in the sockets, and screws to clamp said rods in the sockets.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 23d day of August, 1923. Y

CHARLES R. HADLEY. 

